Democracy at 250: Is It Worth Saving?

July 2, 2026--the date of our next Freethinkers' Forum--marks the 250th anniversary of the vote for American independence—the date many of the founders expected would become the nation's birthday. While history remembers July 4th, it was July 2nd that John Adams believed future generations would celebrate. It seems fitting, then, to use the occasion to discuss one of America's defining ideals: democracy.

Democracy today appears to be under strain. Around the world, democratic institutions are weakening while authoritarian movements are gaining ground. Perhaps most troubling, many modern authoritarians have not seized power through military coups or violent revolutions. Instead, they have often been elected through democratic processes and then used those same processes to undermine democracy itself.

This raises uncomfortable but important questions. Is democracy actually a good system of government? If democracy can produce authoritarian outcomes, what makes it preferable to the alternatives? Can democratic institutions be reformed to better protect freedom, equality, and human flourishing? Or should we be willing to consider more radical ideas, such as selecting leaders by lottery rather than election?

For secular humanists, these questions may be especially important. Humanists generally value individual autonomy, pluralism, equality, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. Are these inherently democratic values? Is democracy essential to a flourishing society, or merely the least-bad system we've discovered so far?

Join us as we explore the promises, failures, and future of democracy.

Related questions:

• Is democracy inherently good, or simply better than the alternatives?
• Why are democracies experiencing backsliding around the world?
• Can democracy survive polarization, disinformation, and political tribalism?
• Are elections the best way to choose leaders?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of selecting leaders by lottery?
• Is democracy a core humanist value?
• What responsibilities do citizens have in maintaining a democratic society?
• How should we respond when democratic institutions begin to fail?

***All participants are asked to familiarize themselves with and agree to follow our code of conduct.

About the group:
The Freethinkers' Forum is a monthly gathering facilitated by the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry to discuss topics of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people. The purpose of these gatherings is to foster respectful dialogue of interesting and intellectually stimulating topics. The focus is discussion and so we will not have speakers. We may have brief presentations to introduce topics, but those will be restricted to 15 minutes or less. There may be optional readings or television or film recommendations to stimulate discussion.